Council of Graduate School Programs
Regular Meeting
27 April 2001
Rubloff Auditorium Reception Room,
25 E. Pearson, Water Tower Campus
MINUTES
[APPROVED, 9/27/01]
Members Present (or Excused): Timothy Austin (English, for David Chinitz), Gad Bensinger (Criminal Justice), Barney Berlin (Curriculum, Instruction, and Educational Psychology), Robert Bucholz (History), James Caccamo (student representative, Lakeside campuses), Anthony Castro (Cell Biology, Neurobiology, & Anatomy), Pamela Caughie (Women's Studies), David Chinitz (English, excused), Marian Claffey (student representative, Lakeside campuses, excused), Andrew Cutrofello (Philosophy), Fran Daly (WorkPlace Studies), Adam Driks (Microbiology and Immunology), Joseph Durlak (Psychology), Mary Elsbernd, O.S.F. (Institute of Pastoral Studies), Jawed Fareed (Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics), Andrew Harrington (Mathematical and Computer Sciences), Stephen Jones (Cell & Molecular Physiology), Claudio Katz (Political Science), James Keenan (Classical Studies), Fred Kniss (Sociology), Randolph Lucente (Social Work), Jason Malfait (student representative, Lakeside campuses), Mary Manteuffel (Biochemistry, excused), Joan McLane (Child Development), David Mitchell (Center for Aging Studies, excused), Duarte Mota de Freitas (Chemistry), E.J. Neafsey (Neuroscience), Jon Nilson (Theology), David Ozar (Center for Ethics), Aparna Sharma (student representative, Lakeside campuses, for Marian Claffey), Diane Suter (Biology), Melissa Trevvett (University Libraries, excused), Pauline Viviano (Catholic Studies), Yolande Wersching (University Libraries, for Melissa Trevvett).
Graduate School Administration: Trevor Bechtel, Max Caproni, William Yost.
Guests: Kim Dickson (Classical Studies), Mark Kuczewski (Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy), Jacqueline Long (Classical Studies), Scott Van Horn (Classical Studies).
Call to Order
Diane Suter, chair of the Council, called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m.
Presentation by Mark Kuczewski
Dr. Suter requested the addition of an item to the agenda: a presentation by Mark Kuczewski, director of the Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy, regarding a proposed Web-based M.A. Program in Bioethics. There were no objections.
Dr. Kuczewski distributed a draft and provided an overview of the proposal. The on-line master's degree in bio-ethics would require 30 credit hours, with 3 credits for a collaborative paper. The program would offer 2-3 courses per semester on-line. It would collaborate with the Healthcare Ethics program within Department of Philosophy. Discussion followed. Dr. Kuczewski plans to submit the proposal to the Council for review.
Approval of Minutes
The Council approved by unanimous votes the minutes of the 2 February 2001 and 16 March 2001 meetings without revisions.
Dean's Report
William Yost, acting associate vice president for research and dean of The Graduate School, distributed to the Council a written report. Discussion followed regarding university administrative decision-making and the arrival of Michael Garanzini, S.J., incoming president of the university. Dean Yost tried to clarify the conflicting messages about Fr. Garanzini's position on changes to be enacted at Loyola prior to his taking office. Dean Yost said that to the best of his knowledge, Fr. Garanzini wants the administration to go ahead with SCC recommendations that affect the budget for FY 2002-2003 and CARP recommendations already proposed, but not to put into effect any statement of "vision" that would encumber him or to move on any actions, such as the appendices to the SCC report, that had not yet been discussed with the faculty. According to Dr. Yost, the faculty will not receive any further material from the SCC report, other than the general summary available on the web, prior to Fr. Garanzini's arrival.
Chair's Report
Dr. Suter discussed the 26 April teach-in organized by students and provided an update of the search for a permanent associate vice president for research and dean of The Graduate School. Isiaah Crawford, chair of the search committee, notified Dr. Suter that the first candidate, Thomas Saba from the Albany Medical College, will be on campus May 24 and will meet with the Executive Committee of the Council at 1 p.m. and with faculty at 3 p.m. that day. Discussion followed.
Nominations Committee
Pamela Caughie, chair of the Nominations Committee, presented for the Council's consideration the following slate of candidates for 2001-2002 officer positions:
· Pamela Caughie (Women's Studies), Chair of the Council
· Susan Hirsch (History), Chair-Elect of the Council
· Diane Suter (Biology), Past-Chair of the Council
· Marcia Maurer (Nursing), Chair of the Curriculum Committee
· Mary Elsbernd, O.S.F. (Institute of Pastoral Studies), Chair of the Program Review Committee
· Claudio Katz (Political Science), At-large Member of the Executive Committee
· James Keenan (Classical Studies), At-large Member of the Executive Committee
The Council approved the above slate by a vote of 23 in favor, 0 opposed, and 1 abstention.
Curriculum Committee Report
James Keenan, chair of the Curriculum Committee, introduced a proposal to establish a new Graduate School course: Psychology 493-Structural Equation Modeling. Dr. Keenan noted that the Committee recommended approval of the proposed new course. The Council recommended approval of the proposed new course by a vote of 24 in favor, 0 opposed, and 0 abstentions.
Program Review Committee Report
Mary Elsbernd, O.S.F., chair of the Program Review Committee, introduced the Committee's report regarding the ten-year review and evaluation of the graduate programs in Microbiology and Immunology. Fred Kniss, member of the Committee, communicated the Committee's recommendations:
We have carefully reviewed the Department of Microbiology and Immunology's self-study materials, the external review report, and the department's response to the external review. We recommend the continuation of the graduate programs in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. The department's improvements since the previous 10-year review are remarkable. They should be encouraged and supported in this trajectory. We concur with several recommendations of the external review team, namely: 1) revision and redesign of several courses flagged by the external review team; 2) more fully incorporating joint-appointed faculty and their students; 3) providing more adequate health care coverage for graduate students; and 4) expanding laboratory space and improving the physical and IT infrastructure, with special concern for animal facilities. Progress on some of these recommendations (particularly the latter two) would involve significant expenditures, and should thus be pursued in cooperation with other departments.
Discussion followed. Duarte Mota de Freitas made a motion to add the following recommendation to those of the Committee: "The department should hire additional faculty members, including at least one senior investigator with national stature." The motion was seconded. Discussion followed. It was acknowledged that the budgets of the university's medical center and Lakeside campuses are separate and that a "hiring freeze" is not in effect at the Medical Center. Dr. Ozar recommended spelling out the separation of resources in this amendment to assure that the funding for this position would come from the Medical Center and not Lakeside campuses. The Council approved the additional recommendation by a vote of 18 in favor, 2 opposed, and 5 abstentions.
The Council accepted the Committee's report, as amended, and recommended the continuation of the graduate programs in Microbiology and Immunology by a vote of 25 in favor, 0 opposed, and 0 abstentions.
Advice Regarding Dr. Braskamp's and Dr. Yost's Preliminary Programmatic Decisions
Dr. Suter requested that the Council consider and reply to several recommendations regarding academic programs included in the following documents:
· A 14 March 2001 report from Dr. Yost "Achieving Financial Stability and Academic Excellence by FY2005"
· A memorandum dated 14 March 2001 from Dr. Yost to the Council regarding recommendations on academic programs
· A memorandum dated 14 March 2001 from Larry Braskamp, senior vice president for academic affairs, to Dr. Yost regarding preliminary decisions based upon CARP reports
Catholic Studies Graduate Program
Pauline Viviano made the following motion:
For a variety of reasons the Catholic Studies Graduate Program has failed to draw students. As the university is not willing at this time to expend the resources that would support the revision and growth of this program, I am left with no other option than to recommend the phasing out of this program as a separate degree program, that is, separate from a department. I would recommend that in light of the mission of the university and its Catholic identity that the Catholic Studies Graduate Program enter into dialogue with the Department of Theology about the possibility of offering an interdisciplinary Catholic Studies Master's as part of its Master's offerings. If such a degree program were acceptable to the Department of Theology, then the program would not be closed, but transferred to the Department of Theology.
The motion was seconded, and discussion followed. There was some concern that this decision could have repercussions for other interdisciplinary programs that do not fit comfortably within any one department or school. Dr. Caughie suggested the Council might review what happened to Catholic Studies next year to determine whether or not the problem in attracting students had anything to do with the resources provided for the program in comparison with other master's programs. The Council accepted the above recommendation by a vote of 23 in favor, 0 opposed, and 2 abstentions.
Ph.D. Program in Perception
The Council discussed the recommendation to close the Ph.D. Program in Perception. Joseph Durlak made the following motion: "The Council of Graduate School Programs recommends that Dr. Yost seriously consider the Department of Psychology's response to the recommendation to close the Ph.D. Program in Perception." The motion was seconded. The Council accepted the above recommendation by a vote of 24 in favor, 0 opposed, and 1 abstention.
Graduate Program Review
Claudio Katz made the following motion:
The ad hoc committee moves that the Council delay its schedule of reviews of graduate programs for one year. The committee considers Dr. Yost's rationale for a moratorium persuasive. The committee further moves that the 2001-2002 Program Review Committee be charged with: (1) reexamination of the Council's criteria and process of performing graduate program review; and (2) initiating timely conversations and participating in deliberations with relevant administrators and committees regarding the Council's responsibility for ongoing review of graduate programs that fall under the Council's jurisdiction.
The motion was seconded, and discussion followed. Dr. de Freitas moved that the above motion be amended so that only the Program Review Committee's work be delayed by one year and that all other aspects of program review continue as originally scheduled. That is, the programs up for external review this coming year should go ahead with that process even though the Program Review Committee would not take up their evaluations this coming year. Drs. Katz, Kniss and Cutrofello, among others, argued that such an amendment puts the cart before the horse, requiring program review based on criteria that are simultaneously being reviewed and that may well change over the year. Discussion followed. The Council rejected Dr. de Freitas's motion by a vote of 2 in favor, 23 opposed, and 0 abstentions. The Council accepted the recommendation of the ad hoc committee by a vote of 21 in favor, 2 opposed, and 2 abstentions.
Graduate Programs in Classical Studies
Dr. Elsbernd made the following motion:
In light of the Council's unanimous vote on Friday, March 16, 2001 to accept the Program Review Committee's recommendation for continuation of the graduate programs in Classical Studies, I move that the Council approve a separate motion to continue the graduate programs in Classical Studies in their current form, and that this motion be forwarded to the dean of The Graduate School and the senior vice president for academic affairs.
Discussion followed. Dr. Katz wanted to revisit the Program Review Committee's report and to consider how the criteria for faculty publications should be determined in comparison with other programs. Dr. Caughie suggested that since a vote had been taken on the Committee's report at the last Council meeting, accepting their recommendation, this was not the time to raise that issue. The Council accepted the above recommendation by a vote of 16 in favor, 0 opposed, and 3 abstentions.
New Business/Members' Concerns
Dr. Caughie commended Dr. Suter for outstanding leadership of the Council throughout the 2000-2001 academic year. Vigorous applause followed.
Adjournment
Dr. Suter adjourned the meeting at 3:45 p.m.
